Networked audio auralization and feedback cancellation system and method

Abstract

The present embodiments generally relate to enabling participants in an online gathering with networked audio to use a cancelling auralizer at their respective locations to create a common acoustic space or set of acoustic spaces shared among subgroups of participants. For example, there are a set of network connected nodes, and the nodes can contain speakers and microphones, as well as participants and node mixing-processing blocks. The node mixing-processing blocks generate and manipulate signals for playback over the node loudspeakers and for distribution to and from the network. This processing can include cancellation of loudspeaker signals from the microphone signals and auralization of signals according to control parameters that are developed locally and from the network. A network block can contain network routing and processing functions, including auralization, synthesis, and cancellation of audio signals, synthesis and processing of control parameters, and audio signal and control parameter routing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for reducing feedback resulting from a sound produced by a speaker being captured by a microphone that produces a microphone signal, the sound including a first audio track for a performer or listener, the system comprising:
 a source processor for producing the first audio track in a first acoustic space; 
 a canceler, wherein the canceler includes a cancellation filter that is based on an impulse response between the microphone and the speaker, wherein the impulse response is formed according to acoustics of the first acoustic space in which the microphone and the speaker are separately placed, and wherein a dry signal is obtained from the microphone signal; and 
 a post production application for creating a second audio track using the dry signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first audio track includes auralization effects in the first acoustic space; 
 the source processor includes an auralizer for producing the auralization effects; and 
 the post production application includes applying the dry signal to a second acoustic space. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio track includes one or more of off- camera dialog, sound effects and cues. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio track includes one or both of a backing track and a synchronization signal. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein cancellation filter is calibrated based on relative positions of the microphone and the speaker in the first acoustic space. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone is one of a plurality of microphones, and wherein the speaker is one of a plurality of speakers, and wherein the cancellation filter is based on impulse responses between each microphone-speaker pair of the plurality of microphones and the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the auralization effects include artificial reverberation. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the artificial reverberation is performed in accordance with a desired acoustic space that is different from the first acoustic space. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic space comprises a sound stage. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic space comprises a green screen. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first acoustic space comprises an in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) sound stage. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first acoustic space comprises a plurality of speakers including the speaker, further comprising a rendering process to enable a plurality of audio channels to be rendered by the plurality of speakers, and wherein the canceler performs channel-to-microphone cancellation. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the a number of the plurality of speakers and a number of the plurality of audio channels are the same number. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an application for room equalization and auralization equalization based on calibration measurements, including providing room equalization filters or an auralization equalization according to calibration or room measurements. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 2 , further comprising an application for performing live auralization-spatialization using a speaker array spatialization system.